75-year-old man shot, killed at medical plaza

Tuesday

Jul 31, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2007 at 8:56 PM

RIDGECREST, Calif. -- Witnesses: Man was upset earlier, returned with a weapon

By The Daily Independent Staff

A 75-year-old man was shot to death by a California Highway Patrol officer after an incident at Ridgecrest Medical Plaza on Monday morning.
The man, who has not been immediately identified, had allegedly entered the facility earlier in the day in a foul mood and was asked to leave by Ridgecrest Regional Hospital staff at the satellite laboratory. He returned a short time later with a weapon, according to eyewitness Nannette Huerta, office manager for Dr. Pedro Farinha.
Farinha shares the office where the shooting took place.
According to Ridgecrest Police Chief Mike Avery, the police department received several 9-1-1 calls reporting shots being fired at the medical facility.
“Upon the arrival of the (Ridgecrest) Police Department units, as well as the California Highway Patrol, China Lake Police Department and the Kern County Sheriffs Department, we immediately started to evacuate the area outside the building and set a perimeter,” he said.
Avery said the departments established an active-shooter team and searched the building.
Kern County Fire Engines 74 and 77 were also on hand, as well as Liberty Ambulance. Hospital security, Police and Community Together volunteers and Explorer units aided in securing the area.
Moments after the active-shooter team entered the medical complex, they confronted the suspect with a loaded 12-gauge shotgun. They ordered him to drop the weapon several times, at which time he lowered the shotgun toward the team, Avery said. One shot was fired by a CHP officer, killing the suspect.
It was later confirmed that CHP Officer Brad deGeus fired the fatal shot.
Avery said he is not sure how many shots the suspect fired, but witnesses said they heard three or four shots fired in the suite of offices housing the lab and Farinhas offices. The building also houses Dr. Bobby Millers office and Southern Sierra Medical Clinic.
“I heard the shots, but did not see the gunman,” said Farinha, whose staff was shaken by the event. The doctor said he was seeing patients in the back of the office at the time.
Dr. Miller was in the new outpatient clinic at the time, but his staff was also visibly shaken over the shooting.
According to a gentleman who was waiting in the office to get blood drawn, the suspect entered the lab and ordered everyone to get out.
One Ridgecrest Regional Hospital employee, Sherry McInnerney, was injured when the suspect hit her in the head and on the forearm with the butt of his weapon. A second employee, who wished to be identified only as Amanda, risked bodily harm to wrestle the suspect to the floor at one point. It is not known at this time how he regained control of his weapon to face off with police officers.
Avery said the medical complex could be reopened Tuesday morning, depending on the progress of the investigation and the staff of the doctors’ offices.
“We have requested that the entire clinic shut down for the rest of the day so we can do a complete investigation and crime-scene analysis,” he said.
A crime-scene unit from the Kern County District Attorneys Office and the Kern Coroners Office were responding.
Avery said he was in contact with Naval Air Weapons Station Commanding Officer Capt. Mick Gleason.
“Because of the magnitude of the calls that we were responding to, they immediately set up their emergency operating center, shut the front gate and opened the Richmond Road gate to divert traffic from this area to the back gate,” Avery said. Officers from the China Lake Police Department also responded to help with perimeter control.
The incident came at an ironic time. Avery said officers completed an updated active-shooter training at Cerro Coso Community College over the weekend.
The training was certainly fresh in everyones mind, Avery said.
Hospital Chief Executive Officer David Mechtenberg said three hospital employees were at the medical plaza, and all are safe.
The other employees are safe. Everybody is accounted for, he said.
Mechtenberg planned to meet with his employees Monday afternoon.
The Daily Independent (Ridgecrest, Calif.) Staff Reporters John V. Ciani and Ruth Justis and Managing Editor Nathan Ahle contributed to this report.